A government minister has called on banks to reassure and offer compensation to homeowners whose property deeds have disappeared from their banks in recent years.

Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Charlie Flanagan took to Twitter to clarify the issue and urge banks to take action on it.

Minister Flanagan explained: “Banks are fully responsible for title deeds entrusted to their care. Statement of reassurance required and offers of compensation asap."

The controversy came to light through a radio show discussion on Thursday, with several callers to the show saying their title deeds had disappeared from their banks over a number of recent years.

The callers, speaking to RTÉ Radio One’s Liveline show, said they had left their documents with various banks for safe keeping but when they returned to collect them, they were told the banks no longer held the deeds.

The issue was raised again on the popular show hosted by Joe Duffy again on Friday afternoon, with several more people relaying similar stories.